11 Center is sort of an anomaly in Folly Beach and, for awhile, I went there virtually every night for a dinner of tapas and good wine. They have a lovely wine bar with a great painting, and beautiful lighting, which makes for a pretty ambience.

The wine list is fabulous. It’s extensive, most of the servers are somewhat knowledgeable, and, one thing I really love is that they have a market downstairs so you can pop in and pick up a bottle to take home with you – or take home a bottle of wine that you had with your dinner and loved so much you’d like to have another glass once at home. The prices are decent considering it’s a retail store. You can find better prices elsewhere, of course, but it’s definitely fair considering the convenience factor.

The food is fair to good. I really like the Tuna Tartare ($9) which is fresh sashimi, ginger, pineapple, red and green peppers and cilantro served with black pepper encrusted crackers. The Pan Seared Lamb Chops ($10 for two) served with wild mushroom risotto are also pretty good, as is the Antipasto ($7), marinated and grilled artichoke hearts, supersoata, salami, and smoked provolone cheese. However, I would pass on the Gourmet Cheese plate ($9) as there is nothing gourmet about this cheese plate. It came with the tiniest portion of cheese I have ever seen (and I have been to France too many times to count and am accustomed to small portions), along with way too many candied walnuts and grapes to go with the miniscule morsel of cheese they served. Speaking of French, we took some friends of ours from France there one night and they ordered the Steak Tartare ($8), had one bite and didn’t touch the rest so, while I didn’t try it personally, I wouldn’t recommend that either.

The reason I don’t go there with the same frequency as I did in the beginning is I don’t feel the sense of hospitality as some of the other places I frequent. I have also written about One Center – a totally different crowd, totally different ambience – and, to be honest, I would have thought I would want to spend more time at 11 Center based on my personality and taste. But there is something to be said for feeling special when you’re a regular and you just don’t get that here. So for a more upscale experience on Folly Beach with “gourmet” food and wine, this is a fabulous spot to try.

My best friend and I stopped into Blossom for an afternoon cocktail and snack on Monday afternoon and did we ever pick a good spot for that! I cannot wait to eat at Blossom again and I can’t wait to try to make the Fried Green Tomato BLT at home, although I am not sure I will be able to replicate the deliciousness of their version.

I will start with the cocktails as I always love to talk about cocktails, almost as much as I like to talk about food. I had a Palmetto Amber, always a great beer. My friend had the Peach Bellini and raved about it so much that I tried a tiny sip and was tempted to stay for another round so I could have one all for myself. It was fresh and delicious like a chilled peach, slightly sweet but not sugary.

We ordered the Fried Green Tomato BLT and side of soup (soup and sandwich plate $12) thinking it would be a regular sized sandwich served on whole wheat with mayonnaise. Boy, were we in for a treat when our meal arrived.

The sandwich was petite with a wonderfully, big flavor. I was expecting regular bread but instead, they use very thin pieces of toasted cornbread and, rather than mayonnaise, a pimento spread which gave the sandwich a spicy kick. The bacon was crispy and flavorful. I think I could have eaten four of these sandwiches and trust me, I was tempted to stay and do so! It typically comes with a cucumber gazpacho but it was a chilly day and our waiter, Reid, offered to switch it out for a cup of sweet corn and blue crab chowder so we did that instead. It was a delicious snack and one I would highly recommend.

01/09/06

What a delightful and romantic evening we spent dining at Cypress. We were seated immediately and greeted by our waitress, Phyllis, who was professional and polished, yet warm and personable -I would highly recommend asking for her as she helped to round out a lovely dining experience with her expertise and personality.

We started off with a bottle of Veuve Cliquot (Yellow Label, $75) - always a great way to begin a meal in my opinion - along with our appetizer selections, the Asian Tuna Tartare ($10) and the Vietnamese Beef Spring Rolls ($9). I like to try the tuna tartare at every good restaurant and it was delicious here, although we both agreed that the Spring Rolls were our favorite.

Cypress has an extensive wine list, with over 4,500 well chosen selections from all over the world which are beautifully displayed on a floor to ceiling wine wall. I wish I could remember what wine we had that night but this was three months ago now and I do not. What I can tell you is that we took Phyllis' suggestion and here is something I am always impressed with: we had picked out a wine and, after hearing what we had chosen for our entrees, Phyllis suggested a wine that had just come in, was not on their list, and was less expensive than what we had originally chosen (approximately $50). It paired beautifully with the tender, melt in your mouth Garlic and Herb wrapped rack of lamb, prepared tableside for two ($34/person).

We ended our dinner with a to-die-for warm chocolate molten cake ($9) and delicious vanilla creme brulee ($8), and of course, the rest of our wine. I am always happy when my meal includes a tender and flavorful meat selection, champagne and/or red wine, chocolate in some form, and, of course, wonderful company so I left Cypress feeling VERY happy as our meal included all of the above!

Living In Charleston

Rachael was raised and born here in Charleston South Carolina. As a native, mother, wife to her devoted husband David, and local real estate agent, Rachael gives you a glimpse into the heart of what is going on here.